Bad loss right before the NCAAs

[YodaUte]

I remember a time when the Utes were trying to figure out how to move forward after their best player left for the NBA. They did alright without him. In fact, they went on to put up a really good regular season record. Everything was looking rosy until the first game of the conference tournament where they got upset in the first round by a vastly inferior team. It was a devastating loss. Right before the NCAA tournament.

The year was 1998. Anybody remember how that ended?

[Anonymous]

Oregon isn’t inferior they are a solid one seed.

I really like Utah’s bracket. Poeltl can dominate every team in front of them.  Virginia is an athletic team tho similar to Miami and Oregon. They scare me.

[Tony (admin)]

Right. I’m hoping this spanking brings the team back down to earth and fuels a great NCAA Tournament run. Though as beehive points out, Oregon is a great team and there’s no shame in losing to them, except perhaps the way we lost.

[Anonymous]

I would not consider it a bad loss to Oregon, but it was a bad performance.

The NCAA seeding Committee thought so highly of Oregon they gave them a #1 seed. They thought highly of Utah and gave us a #3 seed. They thought so highly of Cal, they gave them a #4 seed. They thought so highly of the PAC 12, they gave them 7 invites, highest of any Conference.

So I watched some of the Bracketology drivel on ESPN. Duke Vitale was going off on how Mich St got robbed of a #1 seed when it was given to Oregon. I went and looked at Mich St’s schedule. Guess how many OOC games they played on the road? ZERO. Their record was 29-5 and all 5 of their losses were in Conference and on the road. They had some other very close wins on the road against the likes of Maryland. I have a very good friend who’s a Maryland booster and he is not happy with how Maryland has developed over the season. I am certain he will tell me that the B1G and Mich St ain’t all that and he has been following UTah. Sorry, but Mich St is not a road tested team and if we get to meet up with, we should win that game.

[YodaUte]

I would not consider it a bad loss to Oregon, but it was a bad performance.

I don’t care how good the opponent is, a 25-point defeat is a bad loss.

But the point I would make is that this loss could be a good thing. Like in 1998, it reminds you that you’re not invincible. Hopefully it makes you play angry; take a hard look at how you lost and find a way to fix it.

[rbmw263]

id rather have us feeling invincible to be honest

[YodaUte]

Feelings of invincibility leads to losing, which leads to anger, which leads to hatred, which leads to suffering.